Mike Bongiorno, American-Italian television host (b. 1924)
Michael Nicholas Salvatore Bongiorno (Italian pronunciation: [bɔnˈdʒorno, - bonˈ-]; May 26, 1924 – September 8, 2009) was an Italian-American television host. After a few experiences in the US, he started working on RAI in the 1950s and was considered to be the most popular host in Italy. He was also known by the nickname il Re del Quiz ("The Quiz King"), and the peculiarity of starting all his shows with his trademark greeting: Allegria! ("Cheers!", "Joy!").